By Lincoln G. Peters
Official preliminary election results released Wednesday show opposition Unity Party Joseph Boakai taking a slight lead ahead of his fierce rival incumbent President George Manneh Weah following Tuesday’s vote in a run-off.
With just 22.33 percent of the votes counted so far, Mr. Boakai, the country’s immediate past vice president, is leading with 193,41 votes or 50.71% while incumbent President Weah follows with 187,615 votes or 49.29% .
The National Elections Commission (NEC) began releasing preliminary results on Wednesday, 15 November 2023 and the process is expected to continue in the coming days.
The opposition Unity Party (UP) presidential candidate challenged the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change’s (CDC) Weah in Tuesday’s run-off on 14 November, their second time in such an electoral battle.
The NEC held the run-off because both men failed to secure the 50 percent plus one vote required to be declared a winner of the presidential election contested by 20 candidates on 10 October.
On Wednesday, the NEC released preliminary reports from just 1,315 out of 5,890 polling places across the Country.
Reading the national progressive tally results at the NEC headquarters in Monrovia, NEC chairperson Madam Davidetta Brown-Lansanah said the results came from 1,315 of the total of 5,890 polling places across the country, constituting 22.33%.
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She said Boakai’s Unity Party obtained 193,41 votes amounting to 50.71% while Weah’s ruling Coalition for Democratic Change obtained187,615 votes constituting 49.29%.
According to her, the total valid votes were 380,656 constituting 100% while the invalid votes totaled 5,420. A total of 386,70 votes have been counted so far.
Following the release of the first preliminary result, opposition leader Amb. Boakai wrote on his social media Facebook page appreciating all Liberians for turning out to vote in the peaceful way they did.
“As we have started, we will do everything humanly possible to continue to protect your votes. We will also continue to work with our international partners to ensure that the results of the votes cast by everyone will be announced in keeping with the will of the people,” Boakai wrote.
